Otis c



(No Model.)

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. o. C. WHITE. UNIVERS-AL JOINT.

Patented Sept. 17, 1895..

I4 170 A I 1 nventor.

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AttorneyS (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v.

0. C. WHITE.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

No. 546,631. Patented Sept. 17, 1895.

Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

O TIS C. WHITE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO vTHE O. C.WHITE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,631, datedSeptember1'7, 1895.

Application filed January 19. 1895. Serial No. 535,474. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTIs O. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester'and State ofMassachusetts, have'invented a new and useful Improvement in UniversalJoints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thatclass of fixtures or joints which areemployed to form one part of an adjustable supporting device; and theobject of my invention is to provide a strong, simple, and durable formof universal joint.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations ofparts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specifica# tion.

In the accompanying two sheets of draw#` ings, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a universal joint constructed according to my inveni tion.Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 andt are detail perspective views of the sections or clampingjaws whichconstitute a double cone. Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating amodified form' of construction. Fig. 6 is a side elevation illustratinga further modified form of construction. Fig. 7 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a detail view to behereinafter referred to.

A universal joint construct-ed according to niyinvention consists,essentially, of two simi- 'lar clamping-jaws or sections, a socket whichis arranged to be adj ustably clamped into frictional engagement withsaid clampingjaws, bearings forsaid socket, and means for adj ustablyclamping said socket into frictional engagement with its bearings.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A and B designate two similarsections or clampingj aws, which are substantially of frustum shape, andwhich may beunited to form a double cone. The sections A and B are eachprovided with notches 10, as shown, said notches 10 being arranged toform a diametric perforation or socket to receive the end of a rod orpipe C, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The socket which receivesand may be clamped into frictional engagement with the sections .A and Bconsists of a body portion or casting 11 and a removable section orcover 12. The parts 11 and 12 are secured together and adj ustablyclamped into engagement with the conical sections A and B by means ofthe clamping-screws 13, the spring-washers 14, and the knurled or millednuts 15, as shown. `As most clearly illustrated in Fig.' 2, it will beseen that the substantially conical recesses for receiving the sectionsA and B are formed upon a somewhat steeper incline than are the sectionsA and B. By means of this construction the conical sections A and B bearagainst and engagea comparatively small section of the recesses orsockets into which they tit, and I prefer this construction, as I havefound in practice that when the recesses for receiving the conicalsections are made to correspond exactly with such sections these partsare'liableto become stuck together and cannot be readily turned withyrelation to each other. The ends 16 of the section or casting 1,1 aresubstantially conical in shape, are arranged to it into, and arerotatably mounted in bearings 17, carried by brackets D. The bearings 17may be adj ustably clamped into of the piece l1 by means ofclamping-screws 17 0, spring-washers 18, and clamping-nuts 19. The' clamping-'screws 170 are also preferably provided with check-nuts 20, forpreventing the clamping-nuts 19 from becoming unscrewed and the partsfrom becoming looslened. The brackets D are provided with suitable feet,which may be perforated to receive securing-screws for fastening thedevice in any desired position Where it is to be employed. As shown mostclearly in Fig. 2, the bearings or sockets 17 are formed upon a somewhatsteeper incline than are the conical ends 16. By means of thisconstruction these joints have a comparatively small surface of contactand the parts are not liable to become stuck together. By using auniversal joint or iixture as thus constructed the pipe or rod which issecured therein can be freely turned in any desired direction and theclamping screws or nuts can be readily adjusted to secure the desireddegree of friction between the parts which may be found necessary tohold the rod or pipe in its adjusted position.

While my universal joint has been espefrictional engagement with theconical ends cially designed to form part of a fixture for supportingelectric lights and may be used with advantage in place of theball-and-socket joint illustrated in my Patent No. 505,583, it isobvious that my construction may be also employed with advantage formany other purposes.

Instead of using two conical sections which unite to form a double cone,it is obvious that I may employ a ball made in sections, and I haveillustrated such a construction in Fig. 5. Referring to this gure,A andB designate two sections of a ball. The ball which is formed by thesections A and B iits into a socket 2l, which may be clamped intoengagement with said ball by means of bolts 22, which may be providedwith spring-washers and nuts, substantially as above described. Thesocket 2l is provided near its lower end with a conical section whichfits into and engages a conical bearing 23, carried by a bracket orcasting 24. A spindle or pin 25 is also carried by the socket 2l andextends down through a bearing 26, carried by the bracket 24, as shown.The pin or spindle 26 is provided at its lower end with a threadedsecuring screw 260, having the clamping-nut 29 and a check-nut 30threaded thereon; also mounted on the screw 260 is a spring-washer 28and a iiat washer 27. By means of this construction the clamping-nut 29and the check-nut 30 may be employed to adjustably clamp the socket 2linto frictional engagement with its conical bearing 23.

It will be seen that this form of universal joint is characterized bythe same features of construction as that before described, except thata ball is substituted for the double cone and the socket is providedwith a single conical section which can be adjustably clamped intofrictional engagement with its bearing, instead of being provided with aconical section at each end, and while this last-described form ofuniversal joint has been especially designed as a side bracket orfixture to be secured upon the wall it may be used in other locations,if desired. In some cases, where a fixture of the form illustrated inFig. 5 is to be located overhead or secured upon the ceiling, it may bedesirable to provide a counterbalancing l spring for normally tending toturn the pipe C into a fixed position. In such cases I may provide thespindle 25 with a coiled spring 250, one end being fixed or secured tothe bracket 24 and the other end being fastened to a collar 251, whichmay be adjustably clamped upon the spindle 25 by means of a set-screw,as shown.

In Figs. 6 to 8 I have illustrated the manner in whichcounterbalancing-springs can be used in connection with a universaljoint of substantially the same form as illustrated in Figs. l to 4.Referring to these figures, it will be seen that instead of providingclampin g-screws for adj ustably clamping the socket into engagementwith the double cone I have illustrated small securing-bolts 3l, whichare 34, which Iit into bearing-pieces 35.

provided with spring -washers 32 and are threaded into small square nuts33. At its ends the socket is provided with conical ends Thebearing-pieces 35 are formed separately from the brackets or end pieces3G. The conical ends of the socket may be adjustably clamped intofrictional engagement with the bearingpieces 35 by means ofclamping-bolts 37, which extend through the bearing-pieces 35 and thebrackets 36 and are provided with spring- Washers 38 and clampingnuts39. I also preferably provide check-nuts 40 for holding the parts firmlyin their adjusted position. Coiled around the bearing-pieces 35 arecounterbalancing-springs 4I. The inner ends of the springs 4l are bentaround and engage pins or projections 42, carried by the socket, and theouter ends of the springs 41 may be secured in any one of a series ofslots 43, formed in the bracket 3G. By means of this construction itwill be seen that the tension of the springs 4l will tend to turn orrotate the socket in its bearings. Further, in this construction itis tobe noted that the tension of the springs can be adjusted or varied tocounterbalance or compensate for the Weight of various fixtures whichmay be carried by the rod or pipe C. It is evident that instead ofemploying two counterbalancing-springs, one at each end of thesocket-piece, I may employ a single counterbalancing-spring, if desired.

The feature which I regard of particular importance in a universal jointconstructed according to my invention resides in the fact that the rodor pipe may swivel or turn in two directions, the joint being providedwith two sets of friction devices which may be readily adjusted tocontrol the motion in either di rection.

I am aware that many changes may be made in the construction of myuniversal joint by those who are skilled in the art, and I do not wish,therefore, to be limited to the construction which I have shown anddescribed; but

V'Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

l. A universal joint comprising a clamping device for receiving the endof a rod or pipe, said clamping device being mounted to swivel or turnin two directions, and two sets of adjustable spring tension frictiondevices for controlling the motion of the clamping device in eitherdirection, substantially as described.

2. A universal joint comprising clamping jaws formed by two similarsections, a twopart socket for said clamping jaws, screws TOO IIO

IZO

jaws, a pivoted socket for said clamping jaws, my hand in the presenceof two subscribing a counter-balancing spring normally tendingWitnesses. to move the socket in one direction, and

means for adjusting the tension of said OTIS C WHITE' 5counter-balancing spring, substantially as de- Witnesses:

scribed. HENRY E. HILL,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE.

